Today, there exist several methodologies for operating and controlling electrical devices (for example lamps, switches, sockets, fans, and so on) within a specified environment such as homes, all of which may be under an umbrella called “Smart Home” or “Intelligent Home”. In general, intelligent home is a concept whereby embedded computers, sensors and actuators are used to automate or control functions within the built environment.
Home automation is a field within building automation, specializing in the specific automation requirements of private homes and in the application of automation techniques for the comfort and security of its residents. Although many techniques used in building automation (such as light and climate control, control of doors and window shutters, security and surveillance systems, and so on) are also used in home automation, additional functions in home automation include the control of multi-media home entertainment systems, automatic plant watering and so on. When home automation is installed during construction of a new home, usually control wires are added before the wall or drywall is installed or before its construction is completed. These control wires usually run to a central controller, which may then control the environment.
Typically, a central controller in a smart home communicates activation instructions, and sometimes other kinds of data, to different electrical devices controlled by it. Depending on the used control methodology, such communications may take place over the power lines, by using any powerline protocol specified herein or other powerline protocols, or wirelessly, by using any wireless protocol specified herein or other wireless protocols. Exemplary protocols are X10, UPB, INSTEON, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, HomePlug, INSTEON, Wi-Fi and ZigBee. Of course, a device that is intended to be incorporated into a smart home has to be able to receive, interpret and use data communicated to it from the central controller. Dynalite, for example, is a company that designs and manufactures technology solutions for lighting control and building automation applications. Cytech Technology is another company that manufactures Home Automation solutions.
Traditionally, a home can be made a smart home either by being originally planned and constructed as such, or, after its construction as non smart-home, by substituting non-smart-home devices with smart-home devices. Smart home technology is far more expensive in comparison to non smart-home technology (hereinafter referred to as a “basic home technology”, also a “basic electrical system”). For example, equipping a 3-room apartment with a smart home technology may cost between US$ 4,000 and US$ 24,000, depending on the involved home technology, number and type of used smart devices, actual configuration, and so on.
Substituting a basic home technology with a smart home technology usually has several drawbacks. Firstly, there is a need to adapt the house to accommodate smart home devices (smart switches, smart lamps, and so on), the wired and/or wireless communication devices required for operating them, and the wires interconnecting them. That is, non-smart electrical devices have to be replaced with smart home devices, and the electrical wiring (at least part of it) has to be redone. Replacing electrical devices and redoing the wiring system are costly. Secondly, if communications between the controller and a smart home device are broken, the smart home devices will become uncontrollable. For example, if a smart electrical lamp cannot receive “ON”/“OFF” instructions, the lamp will uncontrollably stay “ON” or “OFF” (depending on its status at the time of the communication malfunction). In such a case the lamp (or any other smart device for that matter) circuit will not function properly until the malfunction is removed.
Therefore, there has been a long felt need in the home technology field for imparting smart-home like capabilities to basic electrical systems, in a way that is convenient and by far cheaper in comparison with traditional smart home technologies.